Build your library
Open Sheet Music Library and choose Add Music. Import PDF, MusicXML, XML, or compressed MXL files, scan printed pages, take a single-page photo, or create a collection. Use Favorites, Recently Played, Exercises, collections, tags, and search to find music quickly.
Scan or photograph music
Scan Sheet Music uses Apple’s document camera to detect page edges and capture multiple pages. Take Photo uses the standard camera for a single page when automatic document scanning is not suitable. Camera access is requested before either tool opens. Live camera previews may be hidden while the iPad is connected to Device Hub; disconnect Device Hub and check the physical screen before troubleshooting the app.
Practice a score
Select a score and adjust the tempo, count-in, loop range, and metronome. Compatible MusicXML scores provide playback and active-note highlighting. PDFs and visual-only scores remain readable and annotatable but do not generate notes or audio. The screen remains awake while a practice session is open and returns to normal locking behavior when you leave it.
Bookmarks and passages
Add a bookmark at the current measure to mark a place you want to revisit. Tap a bookmark’s measure to return to it, or use its trash button to remove it. Enable Loop selected measures to repeat a difficult passage.
Annotate and take notes
Use score markup for layered Apple Pencil or touch annotations directly over the music. Practice Notes provides one shared page for typing and drawing: choose Text or Draw in the ribbon, then select a pen, marker, eraser, color, or stroke width. Typed text and handwriting are saved together. Undo removes the latest drawing stroke; Clear Drawing removes all ink from the note.
Record and review a take
Tap Record while practicing. Saved takes include their score, measure range, tempo, date, and duration. Open Recordings to play, pause, seek, share, or delete a take. Choose Open with score to hear the recording while following the music; compatible MusicXML notes highlight along the recorded timeline.
Manage PDF pages
From a PDF score’s More menu, choose Crop or Reorder Pages. Drag pages into performance order, remove unwanted pages, or apply a uniform margin crop before saving.
Backup and restore
From Add Music, choose Export Library Backup to save a package containing library metadata, imported scores, notes, annotations, and recordings. Restore Library Backup replaces the local library after confirmation.
iCloud sync
Practice Desk synchronizes through your private iCloud account when available. Tap the cloud button in the library to refresh manually. Local use continues when iCloud is unavailable.
Optional diagnostics
Crash, hang, and performance diagnostics are off by default. To help improve the app, open Settings and turn on Share Diagnostics. You can turn it off again at any time. Scores, notes, annotations, recordings, screenshots, and screen contents are not attached.
Siri and Shortcuts
Practice Desk includes shortcuts for opening the music library and saved recordings. Find them by searching for Practice Desk in Apple’s Shortcuts app.
Need help?
Email [email protected].